2012 - Page 42 of 43 - Critic Speak

Lionsgate not laughing about Cyrus’ LOL

Danny Baldwin / April 18, 2012

Almost four years ago, I settled into a post-Comic Con screening of the horror film Midnight Meat Train, which was being introduced by source author Clive Barker and director Ryuhei Kitamura. I expected a fairly standard speech from the duo — perhaps an anecdote about the production process and then a generic “We hope you like the movie!” Instead, Barker immediately launched into a verbal tirade against the film’s distributor, Lionsgate, who decided that the film had limited commercial prospects and that they would save money by not advertising, releasing it in the bare minimum number of theaters allowed in the contact. Two weeks later, Midnight Meat Train opened in 102 theaters–mostly second-run locations–and grossed a predictably disastrous $83,000 total.

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Streaming Pick: “The Way Back” (2010)

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

Peter Weir’s 2010 film “The Way Back” is a magnificent true story that just so happens not to be true. Based on “The Long Walk” by Gulag survivor Slawomir Rawicz, the film concerns a group of Soviet prisoners in 1939 who make a run for freedom. Problem is, they start in the middle of Siberia, trekking south towards hopeful freedom. By the time the surviving escapees reach safety, they’ve walked over 4,000 miles.

Rawicz’s book was apparently inspiring enough to sell over half a million copies upon publication in 1956, though recent records have indicated that the author did not escape from the Gulag, but was released in 1942. So the film was at least inspired by, if not directly based, on the tale of a liar, one who might have found that merely surviving the Gulag wasn’t itself an interesting enough story. We’re commonly moved by entirely fictional stories, but does a lie accepted as truth deserve the same respect?

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Joe Eszterhas releases tape of stark raving mad Mel Gibson rant to media

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

True to his word, Joe Eszterhas did possess a tape of Mel Gibson during one of the latter’s rampages, and has now released it to the media.

Eszterhas and Gibson have been feuding bitterly and publicly over their work on The Maccabees, which was to be a “Jewish Braveheart.” When Warner Brothers pulled the plug on the project, Eszterhas accused Gibson of anti-Semitism and deranged behavior, while Gibson claimed Eszterhas’ work was “substandard.”

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ARRI pledges to support 35mm film for at least a decade more

Danny Baldwin / April 18, 2012

This past Monday, I wrote a piece entitled “Making Sense of the Digital Conversion“, which dealt with the ramifications of the widespread digitization of movie theaters. The other element of the digital conversion, of course, is taking place on the production side.

Doomsdayers seized the opportunity to lament “the death” of film production last year when popular manufacturer ARRI ceased production of 35mm cameras. This was no doubt a significant news story, especially considering that ARRI makes the industry’s preeminent digital alternative, the ALEXA, used on dozens of film and television projects in 2011, including Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and HBO’s Game of Thrones.

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Chuck Norris Facts: He carries a rifle in “The Expendables 2”

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

They say old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Fortunately for fans of silly action movies and preposterous TV shows, Chuck Norris is an exception to the rule.

Today a new publicity image of Chuck Norris in The Expendables 2 was released, inspiring giddy delight in fans anticipating the action star bonanza. In the photo, Norris is seen toting a G36 rifle, walking away from a burning car as if it were no big deal. No word on whether or not the car is burning because of him, but doubtlessly he either just killed or is about to kill someone.

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Hannity, O’Reilly near renewal deals at Fox News

Danny Baldwin / April 18, 2012

In a development that should surprise no one, Deadline‘s Nellie Andreeva is reporting that the mega-successful Fox News broadcasters Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly are finalizing new “multi-year, multi-million dollar” deals.

Hannity and O’Reilly, who appear on Fox News at 9 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET, respectively, have consistently trounced all cable news competition for years. Last night, for instance, O’Reilly beat all four other cable news nets combined in both total viewers and viewers aged 25-54. Hannity nearly pulled off the same feat.

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Viral Prometheus marketing evolves the Alien mythos

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

Fans of the Alien universe formed by Ridley Scott and James Cameron, among many others, have already been drooling at the marvelous trailers for this summer’s Prometheus. But viral marketing has also been playing a key role in building hype and anticipation for the film.

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Dick Clark dies at 82

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

Dick Clark, the legendary TV host and producer, has passed away at 82.

Clark’s rep told TMZ that Clark had been hospitalized in L.A. after an outpatient procedure. He suffered a “massive heart attack” following the procedure, with attempts to resuscitate him being unsuccessful. Clark previously had a stroke in 2004.

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Review: “The Raid: Redemption”

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

With an American remake for The Raid: Redemption already slated, I have the perfect man in mind for the lead role: Jason Statham. Really, it can only be him, because this hyper-violent Indonesian actioneer, hailed as the second coming of Hard Boiled by its supporters, in fact plays much more like anything from Statham’s oeuvre than it does an actual classic blood-pumper like the best works of Asian filmmakers such as John Woo or Jackie Chan.

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Time’s non-gag 100 Most Influential People List includes Louis CK, other non-influential people

James Frazier / April 18, 2012

It’s a special Time of the year for snarky culture commentators, because Time has released their annual 100 Most Influential People List, or as I like to call it, People Time Staffers Like List Plus a Few More. Because there’s no way anyone who works at Time magazine likes Mitt Romney.

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